It is known to form composite articles having a glass matrix with a plurality of reinforcing fibers, such as silicon carbide and the like.
Illustrative of some techniques used in the past to make such composite articles is U.S. Pat. No. 4,581,053 which discloses coating a silicon carbide fiber with glass powder, weaving the coated fiber into an article shape and then hot pressing the shape to form a composite article having a glass matrix with silicon carbide reinforcing fibers therein.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,613,473 involves weaving or knitting cloth from yarn made of a matrix material such as glass, ceramic and the like, weaving or knitting cloth from yarn of a reinforcing fiber, interleaving the cloths to form a preform, stacking the preforms, and hot pressing the stack in a die to densify the preforms into a near net shape article having a matrix of the matrix material (glass, ceramic and the like) reinforced by the reinforcing fibers.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,626,461 describes gas turbine engine components of complex shape, such as airfoil blades and vanes, having a ceramic or glass matrix reinforced with silicon carbide fibers.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,664,731 illustrates making a fiber reinforced glass composite using glass frit impregnated preforms and passing the preform through a pultrusion apparatus.
Other known processes for making similar composite articles involve coating the reinforcing fibers with a glass slurry or frit and then laying up the coated fibers for subsequent hot processing to provide a densified fiber reinforced glass matrix composite article.
Composite articles having a thermo-set plastic matrix reinforced by fibers have been made by different methods. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,211,818 discloses formation of composite strands of resin, at least one carbon fiber and a plurality of glass fibers by passing the carbon fibers and glass fibers through a resin bath and then a die. The composite strands exiting from the resin bath are wound on a mandrel to form a preform. Polyethylene sheets are placed on opposite sides of the preform. When hot pressed, the preform is formed into an article having a thermo-set plastic matrix with carbon and glass reinforcing fibers therein.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,539,249 provides a yarn comprising thermoplastic fibers blended with graphite, glass and other like reinforcing fibers. The blended yarn is woven into a soft, supple and flexible fabric which is shaped in a mold and heated to melt the resin to produce a resin matrix reinforced by the reinforcing fibers.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,690,851 discloses a fabric woven from textured glass fibers and carbon fibers. The fabric is impregnated with resin and then heated to form a fire resistant, light weight composite article.